Northern Moor Gardening Society is holding a neighbours day event at the allotment site on Stortford drive Northern Moor on Sunday 31st May 2009 11.00am till 2.00pm.

Come along and see how an allotment site works.

Have a chat to allotment holders about growing,

Share a free cup of Tea/coffee and light snack with us.

Come and see our site shop and maybe make a purchase. We stock a wide range of composts,fertilizers , wild bird food and other gardening/allotment requirements.

All are welcome to this open day, you may also join our Society if you wish.

Details of our 2009 flower show in August available at this event.

The allotment site is situated off Sale road in Stortford drive just near the Yew Tree Pub.

It will be signed from Sale road/ Fellpark Road corner.

Or look at the find a site section of the AMAS website.

All this warm humid air has given everything a massive boost in growth and the difference in all the plants is huge. The other effect is ,of course,BLIGHT all my potatoes have been affected and are cut down to ground level.

Having said that, the onset was a lot slower than last year and a month to six weeks later, so lets hope the potatoes are that much better. Peas and beans love this warm humid air and are starting to produce on a daily basis.

In fact looking round the plot there aren’t any of the crops that haven’t started producing for me. This is the month when it is a case of water, pick and weed with little time left over to do any other work.

There are other jobs that need doing and have to be squeezed in. Regular sowing of salad crops, in particular, with the spring crops as well.

JOBS FOR THE WEEK

1. Water
2. Pick
3. Weed

CROPS PICKED THIS WEEK

1. Lettuce
2. Cucumber
3. Spring onions
4. Tomatoes
5. Potatoes
6. Cabbage
7. Broccoli
8. Courgettes
9. Radish
10. Peas
11. Beans, climbing and dwarf
12. Carrots

I don’t know where the time goes to these days, every time I try to sit down and write, something happens to stop me. The summer has not arrived in full swing yet, but the crops are still growing well, they would be a lot better if the rain was a little less and the temperature was a little more consistent.

The beans seem to be loving the cooler and wet weather but the cucumber, squash, courgettes would prefer it to be a bit warmer! On the hotter days I have noticed that the brassicas are drooping somewhat, but they soon pick up and continue growing.

As you are aware we are experiencing the ideal conditions for blight, in potatoes and tomatoes, as yet I have not seen any sign of it on my plot. This time last year I had cut all the tops off the potatoes because of blight, so perhaps I will get a better crop this year.

I have still to plant out the last of this years leeks and to sow some later swede and turnip seeds together with radish and spring onions to keep a steady supply for the rest of the summer. I am still sowing lettuce at three week intervals to be able to crop into the Autumn, before going into the tunnels for the winter crops.

The main tasks to keep me busy are watering the tunnels and crops that are fruiting and weeding to keep the crops growing well.

JOBS FOR THE WEEK

1. Weed
2. Sow more swede, turnip, etc.
3. Pick

WORK DONE THIS WEEK

Sunday

1. weed
2. water
3. plant out pumpkin on manure heap

Monday

1. water
2. weed

Tuesday

1. water
2. weed

Wednesday

1. Water
2. weed
3. cultivate between crops

Thursday

1. Water

Friday

1. Prepare next bed for sowing
2. Water
3. Cut out first signs of blight on potatoes

Saturday

1. Water
2. Tidy climbing beans

CROPS PICKED THIS WEEK

1. Lettuce
2. Spring Onions
3. Carrots
4. Cabbage
5. Broccoli
6. Beetroot
7. Strawberries
8. Courgettes
9. Radish
10. Cucumber

We are having a nice mix of hot/warm weather together a good watering of rain, which together make everything grow. The most important thing to be aware of with these conditions is that they are ideal conditions for BLIGHT on potatoes and tomatoes, so be on the look out for the signs of blight . I have finished weeding the plot, but as with the forth railway bridge, it is now time to start again at the beginning again.

Everything on the plot is now growing well and just needs keeping up with. I still have some late brassicas to plant out and I will still be sowing salad crops for some time to come. The comfrey is ready for its next cut, I must empty the bin and refill it.

All the time more crops are starting to mature and need picking so life does not get any easier.

JOBS FOR THE WEEK

1. Erect next brassica frame
2. Finish digging bed 5 for frame
3. Weed

WORK DONE THIS WEEK

Sunday

1. Finish weeding brassica bed
2. Dig last strip on bed 7
3. Plant out flowers to edge beds
4. Finish caning asparagus
5. Put canes up for last rows of peas
6. Water

Monday

1. Water
2. String rows of peas
3. Sow more roots and salad crops

Tuesday

1. Plant aubergines in tunnel 1
2. Water

Wednesday

1. Put up fleece to protect peas from pigeons
2. Dig flower border
3. Plant chillies and peppers in tunnel 1
4. Water

Thursday

1. Plant out leeks
2. Water
3. Weed

Friday

1. Clear remains of broad beans from tunnel 2 and weed.
2. Water
3. Cut comfrey and fill bin

Saturday

1. Weed
2. Water
3. Sort out timber for brassica frame
4. Plant out second courgettes

CROPS PICKED THIS WEEK

1. Lettuce
2. Spring onions
3. Carrots
4. Potatoes
5. Beetroot
6. Spinach
7. Strawberries
8. French beans

Last weeks rain was a great big help to keep things growing, as the dry period was beginning to make plants wilt and slow down. The warm nights have kept things growing as we want them to and push with the ripening ready for picking.

It is now past the longest day and picking asparagus has ended for another year, it is time to let the ferns grow and strengthen the roots for next year. The peas in tunnel 2 have just about finished cropping they go over very quickly in the tunnel, but the other crops are doing well.

The tomatoes in tunnel 1 are growing fast and the first trusses are beginning to form , while the grapes in both tunnels are swelling steadily. The lettuce seeds sown 10 days ago are ready to transplant into module, so it must be time to sow some more, and more radish outside are the same. It is important to keep sowing salad crops a little and often to keep a supply of fresh lettuce and radish. Spring onions can be sown less frequently as they will stand for a week or two while they are used.

It is time to finish digging over the last of the empty ground ready for planting up, or, if there is nothing to go in, then to sow a green manure to keep the ground covered. I have still a bed of sweetcorn to plant out and to plant out some chard and spinach, as well as sowing a late crop of peas.

There are still root crops to sow for regular supplies which does not leave much time for weeding.

JOBS FOR THE WEEK

1. Plant sweetcorn
2. Plant chard
3. Plant spinach
4. Sow peas
5. Sow lettuce
6. Transplant seedlings

WORK DONE THIS WEEK

Sunday

1. dig more of bed 7
2. water
3. protect peas
4. string climbing beans
5. transplant seedlings into large pots

Monday

1. Sow peas
2. weed strawberries and garlic bed
3. Thin carrots
4. transplant three trays of seedlings into large pots

Tuesday

1. Water
2. Plant out sweetcorn
3. Plant out chard and spinach
4. Water
5. Weed

Wednesday

1. Weed french beans
2. Thin carrots
3. transplant lettuce seeds into modules
4. Water

Thursday

1. Water Tunnels

Friday

1. Finish thinning carrots
2. Repair side to carrot bed
3. Water
4. Plant out squash in sweetcorn bed

Saturday

1. Dig more of bed 7
2. Start weeding brassica bed
3. Weed root bed
4. mulch sweetcorn bed
5. put up canes to support asparagus ferns
6. Water

CROPS PICKED THIS WEEK

1. Last of the asparagus
2. Peas
3. Broad beans
4. Lettuce
5. Spring onions
6. Carrots